By Robin O’Brien

One of my earliest childhood memories is learning to knit from my grandmother. Being one of four girls in my family of six children, I was the only who took any interest in it. To do this day, I believe my grandmother and I had a special connection because of our common love of knitting.

My grandmother was a gifted knitter. She was also a very talented at crochet, needlework and was a part-time seamstress. My earliest and most vivid memory of her was when she was doing some sort of needlework. Not only was she a brilliant practitioner of knitting but she was also a great teacher. She possessed what any good teacher has: patience. I am left-handed and she was right. How she kept calm, when thinking backwards and trying to teach a child, I’ll never know.

I was about eight years old when she taught me the basic chain stitch. During that summer I crocheted a chain that went around the entire outside of my house two times! It was quite the talk of the neighborhood. My mother helped me measure it, though I can’t remember how long it was exactly.

I soon progressed to knitting. My most prized possession is my grandmother’s collection of needles all wrapped up in a silk needle holder. It was originally given to her by my grandfather as a birthday present. My mother gave them to me some years ago – after my grandfather’s death – almost twenty years after the death of my grandmother.

My passion for it lasted into my early twenties but marriage and the early years of raising my own children put a moratorium on it. However, I never gave up needle work entirely, and found myself learning new skills like cross stitching, quilt making and rug hooking.

Then a friend introduced me to hand dyed yarns. I just loved the texture and color of these yarns and I soon began knitting again. I made everything, from scarves and sweaters to felted purses and hats. I now knit constantly, making clothing for friends and family.

It was at the time I rediscovered knitting that my father became very ill. My mother was a keen practitioner during my childhood and I suggested that she take it up again. I thought it would help her to find peace while sitting with my father in the hospital for months. She also discovered the joy of working with hand dyed yarn from companies like Twisted Sisters Yarn and Rio De La Plata Yarn.

I’m sure my father found peace in my mother sitting quietly knitting while he lay there in that hospital bed. I still remember that final day with the family all around his bedside, waiting for him to pass. Waiting for his passing, my mother and I pulled out our needles and yarn and managed to found solace in doing this familiar activity during such a sad time in our lives!

Every Friday night my mother now comes over to my house for supper. She always brings her wool and needles with and we do our projects together. For the most part we sit there in silence, though we are somehow connected – like two balls of wool.

She says that I’m plain nuts when it comes to knitting; she laughs when we take my children to the movies and I have to sit under a dim light so I can do my knitting through the movie!

I’m so happy to have this craft back in my life – it’s like a reunion of long lost friends. It brings me such tranquility and calm in this busy world I find myself in. Just as I felt I had a special bond with my grandmother through knitting, I feel I have a stronger bond with my mother because of our love of it. I’m pleased to say that my daughter and one of my sons have even learned.
Follow the links for more information about hand dyed yarn like K1C2 Yarn as well as other beautiful yarns like Sirdar Yarn.

Article Source: Robin O’Brien / My Love Of Knitting Comes From My Grandmother

By Joann Freeman

There are many kinds of yarns, different textures and colors. The other difference between yarns is the price. High quality yarns carry a higher price tag than do synthetic yarns. Using the exact yarn called for in a pattern usually creates the best results but there will be times that you may choose a different yarn than the pattern suggests. When you do this, you should choose a yarn that is as close in weight to the one recommended by the pattern as possible. Choosing a yarn that is similar in fiber will give you a result that will closely match the pattern.

Yarns are different in weight and thickness. There are two-ply, three-ply and four-ply yarns. Ply is the number of strands that have been woven together to form the final thickness and weight of the finished yarn. When you do purchase yarn for a particular project, you should purchase exactly the amount you will need at that time, paying careful attention to the dye lot number that is on the yarn label. If you just purchase the yarn by looking at the color rather than by dye lots, you might not realize how yarns may look the same in the store but have a slightly different shade that becomes apparent when the yarns are later joined together while you are knitting your project. These subtle differences will affect the outcome of your project, unless of course, you are deliberately choosing these shades. If you don’t buy all of the yarn you might need at once, you may find that you are unable to find that dye lot number later when you need it. It is a good idea to keep the label from each skein of yarn until your knitting project is finished because it contains not only information about dye lots and color number but also has washing instructions. As well, there is often a pattern on the reverse side that you may wish to knit sometime in the future.

Lightweight yarns are best when knitting lacy shawls, infant and baby wear and fine socks or gloves knit on fine needles. It is best to choose smooth washable treated wool or yarn for these items. Medium weight yarns are better suited for adult sweaters, socks and scarves and for articles that will stand more rugged wear like mittens and gloves. Heavy or bulky yarns are great for making outdoor jackets or ski sweaters where you need a warmer, heavier fabric.

Wool – yarn that is spun from the fleece of sheep. Wool is very durable and wool sweaters offer warmth against winter’s chill. Some people prefer knitting with wool because of the quality of the finished project. You must remember, however, that wool has different textures and some will be rough textured whereas some will be soft. If you plan on wearing wool next to the skin, I recommend as soft a yarn as possible. Some people find the rougher wools will make them feel a little itchy. When cleaning anything knit with wool, you need to use only very mild soap and cold or lukewarm water because wool will shrink and mat.

Cotton – this yarn is made from natural plant fibers. Cotton is warm in winter and cool in summer. Cotton is easy to wash and wear and can be used for almost any garment that you wish to knit.
JoAnn Freeman operates http://www.my-knitting-site.com a blog that is all about knitting. She will be talking about knitting and taking some of the mystery out of knitting terms and patterns. Her newsletter will include information of where to find free patterns. http://www.my-knitting-site.com.

Article Source: Joann Freeman / Knitting Yarns